BANGALORE, AUG. 8. The fastest growing segment, in the fastest growing Information Technology market in Asia, right here in our homes, in India. Who says so? Technology analysts, IDC, in their `Directions 2005' market report card released last week. Personal Computers in India were expected to grow from under 3 million now to around 8 million by 2007-08, driven by falling prices which today see desktops available for below Rs. 20,000 ($450) and notebooks for around Rs. 50,000 ($1,125).

Recent dithering by the Government — which first slashed excise duties in the Union Budget on personal computers to zero, then raised it again, after outraged yelps from indigenous PC makers — raised customer expectations of an affordable first computer, then dashed them, all within a fortnight.